Has Ben Carson partnered with clinics, companies, or advocates that promote alternative therapies?

1. A high-profile admission: oleander extract and COVID-19

Carson publicly said he took an unapproved herbal supplement — oleander extract — after contracting COVID-19, a treatment promoted by MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell; The Hill reported Carson’s admission, which is notable because oleander is not an FDA-approved COVID therapy and drew criticism when other public figures promoted it ^[1].

2. Historical associations with supplements and alternative regimens

Reporting and commentary from science- and health-focused outlets have flagged past associations between Carson and supplement-makers or supplement regimens, including coverage that he used alternative supplements during a prostate-cancer episode — a detail raised critically by the American Council on Science and Health ^[3].

3. Legitimate corporate/clinical ties vs. alternative-therapy claims

Carson has a documented role with Galectin Therapeutics on drug development for NASH/cancer immunotherapy, which is mainstream biotech work rather than alternative therapy promotion; Wikipedia mentions his joining Galectin Therapeutics to assist development of belapectin ^[2]. Available sources do not mention a formal partnership between Carson and clinics whose primary business is alternative medicine beyond the supplement instances already noted (not found in current reporting).

4. Widespread false endorsements — social media and scam ads

AFP and Reuters fact-checks document multiple instances of fabricated ads and fake news screenshots claiming Carson discovered natural cures or endorsed specific products (including a nasal spray for Alzheimer’s and erectile remedies); both AFP and Reuters report Carson’s spokespeople denying those endorsements and say there’s no evidence he made such claims ^{[4] [5] [6] [7]}. These pieces show a pattern: marketers use Carson’s medical reputation in fraudulent ad copy without his authorization ^{[4] [5]}.

5. How sources interpret Carson’s stance on “alternative” medicine

Analyses differ: some outlets emphasize his conventional medical credentials and mainstream biotech involvement (Galectin Therapeutics) while science advocacy groups criticize his willingness to use or be associated with supplements and unproven remedies, framing that as problematic for someone with his medical stature ^{[2] [3]}. Fact-checkers further separate what Carson actually endorsed from what was falsely attributed to him ^{[4] [5] [6] [7]}.

6. What Carson’s representatives have said

When specific product-endorsement claims surfaced online — for example, claims he cured dementia with diet or endorsed other “natural” cures — Carson’s representatives explicitly denied he endorsed or even knew about those products, according to Reuters and AFP reporting ^{[6] [4] [5]}. Those denials are primary counters to the many viral claims.

7. Limitations, ambiguities, and what reporting does not say

Available sources do not provide a comprehensive list of every company or clinic Carson may have consulted, nor do they document formal partnerships with clinics that principally promote alternative therapies beyond the cited supplement and social-media-ad controversies (not found in current reporting). Also, while critics highlight troubling episodes (use of oleander, supplement associations), Carson’s work in biotech (Galectin) complicates a simple “alternative-therapy promoter” label ^{[1] [2] [3]}.

Conclusion — cautious headline: Carson has a mixed public record: he has acknowledged using at least one unapproved herbal remedy (oleander) and has been connected to supplement regimens in past reporting, while fact-checkers show many additional endorsements attributed to him online are fabricated and have been denied by his team; he also has mainstream biotech ties ^{[1] [3] [4] [5] [2]}.